


Blood and Mysteries

by Shades_of_Shadow



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Grief/Mourning, Guilt, possible dimension travel if continue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-14 08:23:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17505053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shades_of_Shadow/pseuds/Shades_of_Shadow
Summary: Harry returns to the ministry at the end of 5th year, he visits the DoM, and the veil which Sirius fell though. He gets caught but the strange man helps him realise something. Vowing to return a new adventure may occur.





	Blood and Mysteries

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so hope you guys like it! This may turn into a longer thingy. Also have fun guessing who man is. DoM sounds so interesting- at least to me!   
> By the way don't own Harry Potter or any related works . Unfortunately. If I did Fred would never have died. <3

Harry gazed into the ever shifting light, as he strained to hear over the whispering shadows. His fifth year was just about to end, and in two days time Hogwarts would send its students home and he would be boarding a train back to the Dursleys. Harry gave a small shiver at the thought. That place was his prison not his home. Harry shrugged off his thoughts of the summer easily. Occlumency had become at lot easier recently. He'd been doing it for years accidentally. A magical version of compartmentalising, with an added layer to protect against penetration. In other words when he let the Dirsleys words roll off him, he had been in fact 'clearing his mind'. Annoyance flew through him about Snape's lack of instruction in 'teaching' him. Again he pushed it away, and resumed examining the moving air, the veil, the ancient stone- illuminated only by the eerie glow emitted from the place where the living could not cross. The ministry seemingly had not learnt- the Department of Mysteries had been easy to sneak into. Again. 

The archway that had taken the only family he wished to claim. Grief washed over him surpassing his newly constructed barriers, stronger than the tide pulled by the moon. His throat felt on fire as he struggled not to feel. Sirius.   
The name gave fuel to the raging grief, Harry chocked and he blinked furiously.   
There was no body, no funeral, no goodbyes. His godfather was dead.   
And yet...   
The whispers seemed to echo in the silence of the amphitheatre. Harry strained again, wishing to hear one voice in the chorus. But the voices meshed together like a melody, a melody of running water- running out of his reach as he attempted to catch it.   
Frustration, anger and fury filled him, rising in him releasing him as he turned away from the arch unable to gaze into its depths any more.   
'It wasn't fair,' Harry thought ' it wasn't right, he was there for me, it's not fair, not fair, NOT FAIR!' He spun punching the stone with all his might. His heart beat furiously. 

"Well that must have hurt" said a voice behind Harry. 

Harry jumped as he rounded on the voice "What?!" He said rather stupidly, and immediately wanted to slap himself. And internal voice that sounds like Snape called him a dunderhead.   
Standing before him was a man wearing silver robes, which Harry realised signified his department- which was the one he was standing in. "Urgh - you're an Untalkable?" 

The man smiled widely "More or less, I in fact run this place Mr Potter" 

"How do you... Sorry never mind" Harry fought the urge to shuffle his feet. 5 years and he still wasn't used to being famous. Harry suddenly realised he has been caught, and he idly wondered how much trouble he was going to be in. 

"You know I've had a fascination with the archway for years you know- it's quite intriguing yes?" 

Harry blinked. Well that wasn't the direction he'd expected. "Umm - yeah it is I suppose?" He answered uncertainly. 

The man smiled like he had offered a great insight rather than a half agreement. 

"Did you know not all can hear the voices? Or that the ministry was actually built on this spot because of the archway? Of course some have gone mad trying to figure outs it's secrets, or completely disappeared. But what is a mystery without risk." 

Harry was bemused until the last utterance. "Somethings aren't worth the risk" he said solemnly, if not a bit harshly also. 

The mans eyes seemed to fix to his. They were a pale grey, and seemed to reflect the shadows of the veil. " And equally some things are" the man stated, his tone firm but gentle. 

Harry felt his insides turning. "You don't, it wasn't- it" words failed to come out right. 

"O'but I think your Godfather thought you were worth the risk. After all we risk ourselves each time we let someone into our hearts- to risk it to keep them seems like an equal exchange" 

Harry felt like the floor had been yanked rather suddenly. "You're wrong." 

The man still smiled "undoubtably about many things. But to which of my many mistakes are you referring?" 

Harry shook his head "I'm not, he should have risked it, I mean I'm not that impor- I wasn't worth his life!" He shouted angrily. 

The mans eyes and smile dimmed. He stepped forward until he was directly in front of Harry who was intently examining his shoes. The man grasped Harry by the shoulder, forcing him to look up. He spoke quietly even though they were alone, with only the voices to hear. "You are not to blame for the risks he took. He took them Harry, knowing what could happen, knowing it was his life he was risking. He deemed your safety worth the risk." 

Harry blinked back water that had filled his eyes. "But..." 

"No, it wasn't your fault. Yes you were tricked- but you would also have been if the Dark Lord had actually kidnapped him. It was always a trap Harry, no matter if the bait was real or fake. You are 15- you are both young and old in experiences. Even those who have lived decades or centuries can mistakes dreams for truth, can be tricked, can be fooled. Do not however mistrust your judgement. It can only improve, we can all improve. You must allow yourself the time to do so." 

Harry chocked "There isn't any time, He's not going to allow me time- all these people fighting for me to, to and there's no way I'm going to be able to-" Harry turned away breaking the mans hold on him. Gazing back into the moving veil. 

"He may fall or you may- but those fighting do so for the future they dream for. Not for you. On both sides this is true. They fight for their future, for those they love. It is only a few that fight for love of spilt blood. He may decide that you shall face each other as the Knight of light, and Lord of Dark. But while he is alone, you may stand with others" 

"What so that they can die too! Like my parents or Cedric or Sir-" the voices murmured in the silence.

"Death is what so many fear, but while some see it as the ultimate separation- I see an alternative. To join with those you love. But death is supposed to come with time and not by another's hand. But those exist to make others suffer. If you were to go, would you do so fighting or cowering, if the luxury of age was to you denied. To cower is as natural as to fight- think no less of either decision. But to die we all must. You and your friends face the choice. Do not decide for your friends, do not let others decide for you." 

Harry considered the words. He rolled them over and over. He could run. He could fight. He could flee. But the prophecy said... He was marked. As his equal. It was his duty- but it was impossible, he was doomed to failure- all because of a stupid prophecy. But... Harry suddenly paused. What did the prophecy actually matter. Voldemort still killed innocents. Even if it had never been made he would still want Voldemort stopped. He would still want to help. 

The man watched the young man in front of him, his thoughts trickling out as impressions that his natural legilimency picked up. Pity and pride coursed through him for this young man. Such a hard task ahead, such a hard life before. The expectations of an entire world, and the fate of the muggle one too. And yet it had to be his choice. He could lose so much more, it was fair to give the boy the option now. Voiding a prophecy was hard to do, but not impossible. Not quite impossible. Let him decide it though, the boy who was becoming a man, his choice. And it seemed it had been made. 

Harry felt a peacefulness settle on him. He still felt guilt or grief, the overwhelming mixture of both. But past that, or on top or over or in that, was the decision to fight. "Voldemort is wrong. I won't run from him, I don't wish to cower. My parents stood against him because of what is right and what is wrong. I'm going to do the same." 

The man gave a small smile - "They were brave people. As are you." 

Harry for the first time returned the smile, before it wavered and died. "It's still not fair" he said turning to the whispering shifting light of the veil. 

The man sighed. "No it's not" he simply agreed, joining Harry to look at the veil. Silence and whispers hung before them, comforting in its endlessness. 

"Where did it come from?" Harry suddenly asked, breaking the silence after some time. 

"Hmm, well no one knows really- a bit of a mystery, we have a few of them down here you know." 

Harry blinked at the twinkle the momentarily thought he saw in the mans eye. He gently smiled.   
"Would never have guessed that. Maybe you should change your departments name?" 

"I've considered it, but everything else sounds so sinister- it's hard than you think." 

Harry sure that the man was teasing felt his smile grow. It felt weird on his face. It felt good too.   
"If I come up with something I'll let you know, does the DoM have a suggestion box?" 

The mans eyes were definitely twinkling. "O'yes was at the bottom of the pool in the atrium- we get plenty of things thrown in there" 

Harry felt his mouth drop open slightly "I thought all proceeds went to St Mungos?!" 

The man grinned "what ever gave you that idea?" 

Harry huffed "thieving Untalkables- you owe me 10 gallons." He muttered before smiling, while the mans eyes twinkled in unheard laughter.

"Well Harry I do think it's time for you to sneak back to Hogwarts, excellent stealth by the by- but wouldn't do to be noticed missing yes?" 

Harry nodded, he took one last look at the arch before turning away. 

"O' just a moment Mr Potter!" The man called, Harry turned to see the man draw his wand. Harry immediately stiffened but before he could react the wand hand been swished in his direction. He closed his eyes waiting for it to hurt. Nothing happened. Then some tingling on his hand. He quickly opened his eyes and looked down. His knuckles which had been bloodied by his earlier bout of anger were knitting themselves whole again. Seconds later his hand was healed. Harry blushed at his earlier reaction but looked up to the man before saying "Thanks."

The man smiled graciously and slightly mischievously, "Think nothing of it. Some things need not be spoken of. Other things are Unspeakable." 

Harry bemused by these statements just nodded his agreement , before turning and walking to the door. Just as he was about to leave a thought occurred- "Wait," he said turning "what's your... Name?"  
He was facing an empty room. The only thing in it was himself the arch and the ever fluctuating shadows. Harry shivered. He took his last glance at the arch and made a promise to return. Someday. He left- ready to sneak back into Hogwarts. He would not be telling Hermione about any of this! He smiled. 

\----- 

The man watched invisible as Harry left the room. A remarkable boy. And if given the most precious of commodities- he would be a remarkable man. Time however slipped by easily. The man turned back to the archway, paused a second before approaching the ancient black stone. He was closer than Unspeakables were permitted to be. It was necessary though. Blood from the boys knuckles stuck to the magical stone. The man dared not touch the ancient artefact. He frowned. He honestly had no idea what this would mean. The stone was beyond powerful. He of all people knew that. He didn't quite know what to do. After more that 20 minutes arguing back and forth with himself he decided to try and remove it. Summoning a small paint brush and water, he wet it, intent of softening the blood before hopefully fully removing its presence. The brush touched the blood. The magic thickened suddenly, the man held his breath, heart thumping with fear and excitement. Then it stopped. The magic disappeared as quickly as it had come.   
He looked around the room, before turning back to where the blood was on the arch. Or more accurately where it had been, and no longer was. He blinked. Nope still gone. Blinked again. Damn- so not his eyes then. The man took several step back banishing the brush and water. Hmm well this could be interesting. In a very bad way possibly. 

Steps approached rapidly- the door opened swiftly and another Unspeakable stood looking wildly about before seeing him. "Di- director??" The Unspeakable stammered.   
The man internally signed- should he even attempt to explain? Hmmm he thought- no I won't.   
Nodding silently to the Unspeakable, he passed by him, who was still trying to stutter out a sentence and left without a word. Such was his status and reputation he knew that the Unspeakable would not discuss this with his fellows. It was in the name after all.

\---- 

It was on the last day of term that Harry asked Hermione if she actually knew what the Untalkables did in the DoM. Giving him an exasperated look she went "They're called Unspeakables Harry, not Untalkables" before launching into reported theories and articles she had read on them, up to and including what grade needed for an apprenticeship there. Harry just sat there some what embarrassed thinking about the last sentence the man had said. And the twinkle in his eye when he said it. Hermione was happy to see Harry slightly smiling- even if he wasn't paying attention to her highly interesting speech. Honestly what she was saying was fascinating, he could try and pay attention.   
So Harry's fifth year ended, the Hogwarts Express taking hundred of wizards and witches away from their school. And also taking one wizard away from the place he was happy to call home.

**Author's Note:**

> So did you like it? Guesses to who man is? Guesses in general? Or suggestions? Or kudos? Or complaints about my grammar and bad syntax and spelling? Hopefully not too much of the latter :) 
> 
> Next chapter will have time skip- to when I wonder?


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